2020-04-23: News Headlines

South Front (2020-04-23). Video: Government Forces Clash with Kurdish Militias Amid Israeli Strikes on Central Syria. globalresearch.ca On April 21, clashes broke out in the city of Qamishly between the Kurdish Asayish, a security force of the Syrian Democratic Forces, and the pro-government National Defense Forces. | Local sources claim that NDF units tried to capture several Asayish …

APTP (2020-04-23). San Leandro Police Execute Black Man in Walmart. indybay.org As white nationalists gather across the country wielding assault rifles in protest of public health mandates with no response from police, people of color experiencing apparent mental health crises continue to be shot and killed because of egregious and brutally racist law enforcement practices.

Norman Solomon (2020-04-23). Some Progressives Are in Denial About Trump's Fascist Momentum. zcomm.org "By replacing the world with a person, fascist politics makes us unable to assess arguments by a common standard. The fascist politician possesses specific techniques to destroy information spaces and break down reality." Sound familiar?>

The Canary (2020-04-23). UN chief warns that coronavirus pandemic is becoming a 'human rights crisis'. thecanary.co UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has said the coronavirus pandemic is "a human crisis that is fast becoming a human rights crisis".The UN chief issued a video message warning there is discrimination in the delivery of public services to tackle coronavirus (Covid-19) and there are "structural inequalities that impede access to them".He said the pandemic has also seen "disproportionate effects on certain communities, the rise of hate speech, the targeting of vulnerable groups, and the risks of heavy-handed security responses undermining the health response".He warned that with "rising ethno-nationalism, populi…

WSWS (2020-04-23). The concluding episodes of The Plot Against America: In 1940, an America gone fascist. wsws.org The sixth and final part of HBO's adaptation of Philip Roth's 2004 novel aired April 20. The series imagines an alternate history in which right-winger Charles Lindbergh wins the 1940 US presidential election.

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-04-22). Israel's Defense Minister to Stop Conducting Coronavirus Tests for Gaza. imemc.org Israeli Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett, reportedly decided on Wednesday, that Israel will stop providing the necessary Coronavirus tests for cases from the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip. Israeli media reports said that Bennet's decision came following a series of discussions among Israeli army officials that have so far failed to approve conducting …

Ali Salam (2020-04-22). Settlers Plant Trees on Palestinian Land, while Farmer receives Demolition Orders. imemc.org Israeli settlers, on Monday, planted trees on Palestinian-owned land, in the southern occupied West Bank, with the intent of stealing the land, a local official stated. Hasan Breijieh, director of the Bethlehem office of the Wall and Settlements Resistance Commission, told Palestinian WAFA News Agency that Israeli settlers planted olive …

PCHR (2020-04-22). PCHR: Fisherman Wounded & Fishing Boats Damaged, Israeli Naval Forces Continue Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza Waters. imemc.org Israeli Naval Forces continued its attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza waters, under the continued Israeli restrictions on fishermens' freedom to work and banning their access to areas rich with fish, all while fishermen do not pose any threat to the Israeli naval forces stationed in Gaza waters, which is …

teleSUR (2020-04-22). Annexation of the West Bank Is up to Israel: US State Secretary. telesurenglish.net United States (U.S.) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that it was up to Israel whether to annex parts of the West Bank adding that Washington would offer its views privately to Israel's new government. | RELATED: | "As for the annexation of the West Bank, the Israelis will ultimately make those decisions," Pompeo told reporters. "That's an Israeli decision. And we will work closely with them to share wi…

IMEMC News (2020-04-22). Palestinian Detainee Dies In Israeli Prison. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported that a detainee died, on Tuesday at night, in the Negev Desert Detention Camp, after fainting in the shower, and Israeli soldiers failed to provide him with any medical aid for more than thirty minutes. The PPS stated that the detainee, Nour Jaber …

Germán Gorraiz López (2020-04-22). Is the CIA Preparing a Color Revolution in Cuba? globalresearch.ca The cessation of the United States blockade against Cuba, demanded for the twenty-eighth consecutive year in the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization and overwhelmingly approved by 187 votes in favor, 3 against (USA, Israel and Brazil ) and …

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-04-22). Israeli Troops Abduct 6 Palestinians, Assault Family Members in West Bank. imemc.org Israeli troops reportedly abducted, on Wednesday, a number of Palestinians from several occupied West Bank towns and cities. In Ramallah city, local sources reported that an Israeli army force broke into several Palestinian-owned homes, before they abducted Abdelrahman Elwi and Mohammad Hassan, who are both students at Birzeit University. The …

IMEMC News (2020-04-22). Israeli Soldiers Kill A Palestinian Near Bethlehem. imemc.org Israeli soldiers killed, on Wednesday morning, a young Palestinian man near Bethlehem city, south of occupied East Jerusalem in the West Bank. The Israeli army said the man tried to ram the soldiers and attacked one with a knife before he was shot dead. The Israeli army stated that the …

Ali Salam (2020-04-22). Israel Orders Halt to Construction of Mosque, Removal of Residential Tent. imemc.org The Israeli military, on Monday, ordered a halt on the construction of a 2 story mosque, being built on an area of 250 square meters, in the Palestinian village of Kardala in the northern Jordan Valley, according to the head of Kardala village council.. Ghassan Fuqaha, told Palestinian WAFA news …

en.mehrnews (2020-04-22). Nasrallah says patience key to defeating Israeli enemy, coronavirus. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) — Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that the country is able to overcome challenges by exercising patience.

Vanessa Beeley (2020-04-22). Who controls the British Government response to Covid—19? part1. thealtworld.com "The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants" — As Britain hurtles headlong towards neo-feudalist governance with heightened surveillance, micro-management of society and an uptick in fascistic policing of the draconian measures imposed to combat the "threat" of Covid—19, it is perhaps time to analyse the real forces behind this "new normal". | There is now serious doubt over the correlation between lockdown and saving lives. Reality is creeping into the Covid—19 dialogue. It is becoming…

Alan MacLeod (2020-04-22). BJP capitalizes on Coronavirus fears to take India's fascist creep to the next level. mronline.org India is accelerating down the track of religious strife, and the government itself is driving the vehicle.

graham (2020-04-22). Tory 'herd immunity' propaganda campaign unearthed. truepublica.org.uk TruePublica Editor: Have we not all had enough of incompetent government yet? If not, here's another one to make your blood boil. John O'Connell, the founder at the Far Right Watch, the anti-racist group has sent out some news that he is investigating a propaganda campaign set up by the Conservatives that supports the 'herd …

splcenter (2020-04-22). SPLC Action makes recommendations to Congress to address COVID-19 needs in the Deep South. splcenter.org The SPLC Action Fund sent a detailed letter to members of Congress on April 22, 2020, highlighting the need for federal action that specifically addresses the needs of people in South.

splcenter (2020-04-22). First person to die in Alabama's prisons with COVID-19 spent more than four decades behind bars. splcenter.org

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-04-21). Israeli Forces Abduct Freed Prisoner in Hebron. imemc.org Israeli troops abducted, early on Tuesday, a freed Palestinian prisoner from the Beit Ummar town in the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron. Local media sources reported that an Israeli army force invaded the Beit Ummar town and began invading several Palestinian-owned homes, before they abducted freed Palestinian prisoner, …

Ali Salam (2020-04-21). Israeli Forces Invade Homes, Detain Several Palestinians Across the West Bank. imemc.org Israeli forces detained a total of 9 Palestinians in invasions across the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian WAFA news Agency. Security sources said that Israeli forces, on Tuesday, detained 2 Palestinian youths from the Bethlehem-area village of Nahalin, after storming and searching their family homes. Sources added that the …

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-04-21). Israel Bulldozers Invade Parts of Northern Gaza, Troops Open Fire in the South, Navy Injures One Offshore. imemc.org Israeli troops reportedly invaded, early on Tuesday, parts of the northern and southern besieged Gaza Strip local sources reported. Local witnesses said that a number of armored vehicles including bulldozers, advanced tens of meters deep into the Jabalia refugee camp, north of the coastal enclave. Witnesses added that the bulldozers …

teleSUR (2020-04-21). Palestine Receives Medical Aid from China to Fight COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Palestine received Monday from China a batch of emergency medical supplies including medicines, quick medical tests, and ventilators to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | The Chinese Ambassador to Palestine Guo Wei personally delivered the aid at the health ministry's storage warehouses in the West Bank city of Ramallah to the Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila, who thanked the Asian nation for…

Steve LeVine (2020-04-21). America is about to witness the biggest labor movement it's seen in decades. peoplesworld.org In September 1945, a little-remembered frenzy erupted in the United States. Japan had surrendered, ending World War II, but American meat packers, steelworkers, telephone installers, telegraph operators, and auto assemblers had something different from partying in mind. In rolling actions, they went on strike. After years of patriotic silence on the home front, these workers, …

RT (2020-04-21). Murder or salvation? Southern US states to relax Covid-19 lockdowns amid outcry. rt.com Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina are saying they will start reopening some stores and public spaces shuttered by pandemic fears, triggering partisan outrage and accusations of having a racist death wish. | Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee announced on Monday that he will not extend his stay-at-home order past April 30 and may allow some businesses and state parks to open before that. Meanwhile, in South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster ordered access to public beaches and some retailers Also on rt.com…

Rachel Janik (2020-04-21). Augustus Invictus Arrested in Florida for Stalking, Violating Bond. splcenter.org Invictus' father, John Gillespie, was arrested days earlier and charged with human trafficking of children under 18 years old.

Staff (2020-04-21). Juan González: "Make No Mistake: This Country Is Edging Closer to Neo-Fascist Authoritarianism" democracynow.org We get an update from Democracy Now! co-host Juan González about his mother and wife, who were infected with COVID-19, and discuss how right-wing Trump supporters are brandishing automatic weapons at protests to demand an end to coronavirus shutdowns and are being egged on by the president. "We should make no mistake, that this country is edging closer and closer to neo-fascist authoritarianism," says González, expressing concern these actions will become normalized in the lead-up to a bitter national election in November.

pip.hinman (2020-04-22). Asian community stands up to escalating COVID-19 racist violence. greenleft.org.au

sputniknews (2020-04-23). Ex-Concentration Camp Prisoners Ask Investigation Committee to Deal With Actions of Finnish Invaders. sputniknews.com Former prisoners of Finnish concentration camps in Karelia have asked Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigation Committee, to look into the actions of the occupation authorities during the Great Patriotic War.

Eddie Bejarano (2020-04-21). Anti-Immigrant Movement Has History of Politicizing Disease. splcenter.org COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, is the latest disease the nativist movement has politicized to demonize immigrants.

Miko Peled (2020-04-20). From Settler Violence to Attacks on Haredi Jews, Coronavirus is Laying Israeli Attitudes Bare. mintpressnews.com The spread of coronavirus among Palestinians is dangerous to Israeli Jews, yet authorities and their various agencies continue to destroy clinics, demolish homes, and raid towns and neighborhoods rather than offer the help needed to ward off the virus.

Fight Back (2020-04-20). Philippines: Police arrest activists performing COVID-19 relief work. fightbacknews.org On April 20, Marco L. Valbuena, the Chief Information Officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines denounced the arrest of former Anakpawis Representative Ariel Casilao and 12 other volunteers and residents by elements of the Philippine National Police in Norzagaray, Bulacan. | "The arrest shows the Duterte regime's perverse priorities even amid the pandemic and utter contempt for the plight of the Filipino people. Instead of focusing on efforts to ensure the welfare of the people suffering under the restrictive lockdown, it has intensified the fascist clampdown against activists even when they are conductin…

Aaron Maté (2020-04-18). Labour report reveals how Jeremy Corbyn was sabotaged from within. thegrayzone.com Labour Party officials undermined Jeremy Corbyn's leadership by trying to lose races and exploiting an anti-Semitism smear campaign, an internal…

Staff (2020-04-17). "Gangster in the White House": Noam Chomsky on COVID-19, WHO, China, Gaza and Global Capitalism. democracynow.org We continue our conversation with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky. He responds to President Trump's cuts to U.S. support for the World Health Organization and the surge in deaths in the United States to another record high, and discusses conditions in Gaza, the rise of authoritarianism around the world, and the progressive response. "This is typical behavior of autocrats and dictators. When you make colossal errors which are killing thousands of people, find somebody else to blame," say Chomsky. "In the United States, it's unfortunately the case, for well over a century, centu…

splcenter (2020-04-17). 25 years later, Oklahoma City bombing still inspires antigovernment extremists. splcenter.org At 9: 02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, a bomb exploded in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people, including 19 children.

Ben Norton (2020-04-16). Bolivian coup leader freaks out on The Grayzone for 'fascist' label in complaint to OAS 'human rights' arm. thegrayzone.com The director of far-right Bolivian coup leader Camacho's presidential campaign threw a slander-laced tantrum against The Grayzone in a letter…

Hannah Gais (2020-04-16). Hate Groups and Racist Pundits Spew COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media Despite Companies' Pledges to Combat It. splcenter.org Hate groups and racist pundits have pushed misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic on mainstream social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube throughout the crisis, despite companies pledging to fight fake news about the virus.

splcenter (2020-04-15). CROWN Act movement seeks to protect Black people from racial discrimination based on hairstyles. splcenter.org Jordan Winder did not apply to the high school of his choice, because the dreadlocks he's been growing nearly half his life are not allowed there.

splcenter (2020-04-14). Police: Proud Boys Used for Surveillance as Part of Violent Plot. splcenter.org It sounds like something out of fiction: A Texas lawyer allegedly uses a violent group he was once a prominent member of to do surveillance as part of a plot to kill or injure an antagonist.

splcenter (2020-04-13). Congressman John Lewis shares message of support for SPLC's work. splcenter.org Congressman John Lewis has been a tireless champion for equal rights and justice for more than six decades.

splcenter (2020-04-12). 2019 Year in Hate and Extremism Report Release. splcenter.org

splcenter (2020-04-11). SPLC condemns attack on Alabama synagogue. splcenter.org The Southern Poverty Law Center condemns the antisemitic attacks that took place during Passover at the Etz Chayim Synagogue in Huntsville, Alabama.

splcenter (2020-04-10). Get-out-the-vote effort goes digital for COVID-19 pandemic. splcenter.org Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexis Carr was able to knock on doors in Montgomery, Alabama, register people to vote, instruct them on voting rights and encourage them to cast their ballots on Election Day.

splcenter (2020-04-08). Nativist Hate Groups Want to Keep People in ICE Detention Despite COVID-19 Threat. splcenter.org Anti-immigrant think tanks are pushing for the U.S. to detain immigrants and asylum seekers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, even as prisoners stage hunger strikes and other protests in response to what they describe as deteriorating health conditions in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities.

splcenter (2020-04-08). Why is Alliance Defending Freedom a Hate Group? splcenter.org The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) first listed Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) as an anti-LGBTQ hate group in 2016.

Hatewatch Staff (2020-04-07). Facebook's Strategy for Taking Down Hate Groups is Spotty and Ineffective. splcenter.org Facebook continues to provide a safe haven for hate groups and extremists despite the company's attempts to "stop the most egregious and dangerous groups from using its tools." Hatewatch staff previously reported several extremist groups and pages currently active on the platform directly to Facebook in 2018.

splcenter (2020-04-03). Detained immigrants across Deep South feel like 'sitting ducks' as ICE ignores their safety amid global pandemic. splcenter.org COVID-19 began to infect the nation at rapid speed in March, reaching every corner of the country and taking the lives of more than 6,000 people by April 3. The United Nations has dubbed the coronavirus the "most challenging" crisis the globe has witnessed since World War II.

splcenter (2020-04-03). Cárcel con Cualquier Otro Nombre: Informe Sobre los Centros de Detención del Sur de Florida. splcenter.org

Katrina Huber (2020-04-02). Fighting for immigrant rights during a pandemic. splcenter.org As people across the country are confined to their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, little attention has been given to a group of people whose health is in danger because they are locked away from the outside world — people in immigrant detention centers.